Patrick's of Pratt Street drastically scales back hours
Patrick's of Pratt Street (934 W. Pratt St.), the country's oldest Irish pub, will only be open one day a week for the next couple months, according to owner Patrick Rowley.
The reason? Rowley and his wife Anne (pictured) opened a much larger sister location in Federick Oct. 15, and need to spend time getting it up and running.
"We had to move away from Baltimore and catch our breath," Rowley said.
"We've got so much to do up here, we just don't have the time to operate the Baltimore location on a full-time basis until we're really settled in Frederick." ...
Until then, Patrick's of Pratt Street will only be open Sundays at 2 p.m. Don't worry -- Rowley doesn't plan on selling the place.
"It's only been in my family for 161 years," he said.
The new Patrick's Irish Pub and Restaurant, is open at 11 a.m. seven days a week at 16-18 E. Patrick's St. It seats almost 200. Call 301-668-0668.
(Photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor/Sun photographer)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
I'm sorry to read this. I've had a lot of great nights there when I wanted to get away from my neighborhood places.
Posted by: Otter | November 19, 2008 1:39 PM
Sundays at 2PM?
Wow, Pat really doesn't want us to enjoy a pint within walking distance of my place.....
Lindsy Lohan needs to come back to the powerplant to make me feel better in this dire time....
Posted by: Keith | November 19, 2008 1:55 PM
LINDSAY LOHAN WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUU?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | November 19, 2008 2:10 PM
they should get certified as a historical landmark, and tell the story about how they helped crack the liberty bell. wait...wrong Patrick's.
Posted by: Allan | November 19, 2008 2:13 PM
They've been trying to sell that place and get out of bmore for years. Problem is they're asking three times what the place is worth. It's on the cusp of a sketch hood doesn't help their cause. My guess is they will close up shop and take the hit. It's all inherited so any money they put into it, they've already recouped it ten fold. You don't open a second location without any money.
Posted by: anonymous | November 19, 2008 2:15 PM
This sounds like a mistake.
Their unwillingness to have a Baltimore staff for Fridays and Saturdays, I would think, is the kiss of death. Their going to lose many of their regular customers, who will find someplace else and may never venture back.
If the long term intent is to sell, once the other location is established, they are reducing the value by this move. How many people are going to pay as much for a business left fallow or idle compared to one with a maintained brisk trade.
Posted by: GDA | November 19, 2008 5:32 PM
I wonder how much notice he gave his employees. I'm friends with one of the employees and last week he was still working there and there were plenty of customers and the employees seemed to be doing great..
Posted by: bonnie | November 19, 2008 6:31 PM
GDA,
What's a mistake? That I went in there and Patrick told me they wanted to sell the biz and RE for 685,000. The mistake is that they held on for too long, thinking the RE market wouldn't melt down. The mistake is that they asked for way too much. "If the long term intent is to sell, once the other location is established, they are reducing the value by this move. How many people are going to pay as much for a business left fallow or idle compared to one with a maintained brisk trade." GDA, I agree, which is why I was shocked at their asking price. They have no idea what the value of the property and biz is because they inherited it. All the loans they received to remodel have been recouped. Before I went in, I checked out how busy they were. Let me say, they were closed before 11pm every night.
Bonnie - Their 'employees' consist of Pat, Ann (owners) and one other bartender. If that's the definition of 'doin great' I don't want to know what struggling is. In this economy I don't want anyone else getting laid off.
Posted by: anonymous | November 19, 2008 7:19 PM
anonymous -- by "doing great" I meant that they have been holding down the fort and keeping the business going even though Pat & Anne have been in Frederick for weeks. And I'm agreeing it's a lousy time to lay somebody off.
Posted by: bonnie | November 20, 2008 9:28 AM
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/business/display.htm?StoryID=82428
Posted by: Anonymous | November 20, 2008 9:30 AM
they had four employees and if you did not know this Micheal, Rob, Tom and zu who has been with them for years have been keeping it going. They close early because of orders from Pat and Anne the rule being if there where no people in the bar after 9pm then close up except on fridays.If you came in on Fridays they were open till late and were always busy.(dont write about things you dont know about as you dont even know who works there)
Posted by: Real Patricks Customer | November 20, 2008 2:40 PM
real patricks customer,
Their four employees all didn't work in there on the same night because there was no one in there. Yeah, I knew the rule about after nine, cause when I went in there one night and asked for a pint, the (nameless) bartender huffed and I asked what the matter was. He said he had a party to go to and since the bar only had three people (me included) would it be cool if I would drink a Smithwicks quickly and go. The two other people left and I asked why no one comes in. His observation is Patricks doesn't actively advertise, MLK scares people away, and people who bought into the hood are mortgaged up to their eyeballs so they can't go out. I thought he was pretty spot on. That and Pat and Anne want to get out of Baltimore. Sorry your bar closed, your obviously upset about it. Ask Pat and Anne why they didn't let their trusted employees help run the place? You are a real patricks customer, aren't you? You got pull, don't you?
P.S. when I said they would close, I meant they would keep it open minimally, like they are doing, so as not to lose their license.
Posted by: anonymous | November 20, 2008 6:18 PM
Anyone know what the current hours are?
Posted by: Beth | October 12, 2009 11:48 AM